It is effective to appeal to conceptual ideas of symbolic interactionism, phenomenology, cross-cultural psychology, semiotics when analyzing the paradoxical phenomena of formation of competing identities ("global", "regional" national, "local" cultural "," national / state-civil "). The article describes the methodological possibilities of adequate sociological interpretation of "glocality" / "ethnoglocality ","ambiguous /" vague "identity" in the context of globalization (Robertson R., Benhabib S., Alexander J.). It is productive to appeal to idea of social construction of reality and ethnicity (Schutz A., Berger P., Luckmann T., Gellner E., Anderson P., Barth R., Berry J.), and to modern adaptation of the ideas of classical sociology and media propaganda theory (Lazersfeld P., Lasuell G., Adorno T., Horkheimer M.), and theory of the limited influence of the media offered by Noelle-Neumann. The special role of media as a constructor of social reality (Bosc C., Hilgartner S., Gatlung D.) is noted, as well as, manipulative nature of media (Shudlson M., Entman R., Baudrillard J., Lebon G., Marcuse H., Grushin B.). Productive possibilities of using sociological methods of media as content analysis, discourse analysis, intent analysis, methods of visual sociology are demonstrated.
Under condition of socio-political instability and socio-economic risks, media not only more or less adequately inform public about social realities, but it is also able to design, build, and actively disseminate ideas of inter-ethnic tolerance and intercultural cooperation, as well as, ideas of nationalism regionalism, separatism, and secession triggering thus the growth of xenophobia. It is possible through observing how media is covering issues of interethnic and international relations to see not only level of democratization of media, but in general level of democratization and of potentials of social trust of the whole society. Not only ideological representation of the mass consciousness, but also ordinary people’s everyday practices of intercultural communication depend on how media designs representation of the cultural and regional specificity.
Sociological studies conducted in 2013-2014 demonstrated that ethnically tinged information appears regularly in modern Moscow and regional media, and that intensity, tone, and context of its use depend on level and size of magazine, ethnic composition of city population, country, region. For example, in the republic of Tatarstan, where half of the population does not belong to the titular nation of the Tatars, proportion of materials aimed at forming a strong ethnic and republican identity is higher than in the media of the Stavropol region. In the last-named region, the majority of publications are aimed at the formation of a single supra-ethnic identity "we are the Russians," and there is a bigger share of etnotolerant lexemes. It is determined that there is an intensive appeal to ethnic problems in the Moscow press; Moscow journalists often use intolerance lexemes of ethnophobia creating polar images of "we" and "they" (Caucasians, Chechens, immigrants).
Television is for Russians the main source of news about Ukraine. Both Ukrainian and Russian media in the context of coverage of regional separatism in Ukraine intensified transmission of "hate speech", "rhetoric of war time", "confrontation", “fight against fascism", and negative stereotypes contrasting regional identity like "Donetsk / Lugansk Republicans» VS «Zapadentsy - Bandera ", "south -easterly separatists / terrorists", etc. According to the Levada – Center, there is an increased attention to the online publications: from 16% in April 2014 to 22% in May. Over two-thirds of Russians (70%) trust more the information provided by the Russian media then the one provided by foreign media. Russian sociologists noted that there was a case of lopsided media coverage (Ukrainian military were called "chastisers", and the armed opposition of south-east of Ukraine "militias"). Russians are sensible to sentiments and ideological constructs which are transmitted to them through public media. Public opinion therefore is polarized. Urban intellectuals have a growing sense that the effects of regional destabilization in Ukraine would reflect in greater costs for Russia. At the end of May 2014 more Russians believed that Ukrainian southeast in the future should be an independent state (36%), another 26% believed that these areas should still be part of Russia, and 17% - they should be part of Ukraine, but they should gain more independence from Kiev.
Sociological analysis of media is useful tool for state regional structures, social management, media, newspapers, TVs, international community in order to make adjustments to the practice of forming a socially responsible media content. Results of such study may contribute to the establishment of social partnership with Russian media and scientific community interested in positive representation of formation of interethnic tolerance, ethnic, regional, national, state and civic identity, and public non-governmental organizations. They may ensure establishment of effective joint social control, and compliance of information policy to the national interests of Russian Society for the achievement and maintenance of inter-ethnic harmony, interfaith peace and trust in international relations.